Women’s World Cup: Abby Wambach nets match’s only goal as U.S. wins Group D
Abby Wambach is used to scoring with her head. She’s not sure how she got her latest goal.
“I think it was my shin guard, to be quite honest,” she said. “I’m not 100 percent sure.”
Doesn’t really matter to Wambach. What does is that she scored, pulling the U.S. national team to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria in Vancouver, British Columbia, and into a first-place finish in its group at the Women’s World Cup.
That sends the United States to Edmonton, Alberta, for the opening match of the knockout stage against an undetermined opponent.
It was Wambach’s first goal in Canada and her 14th overall in a World Cup, pulling her even with Birgit Prinz for second on the all-time list behind Brazil’s Marta, who has 15.
“Getting that goal right before the half was big for us,” she said. “Not taking too many injuries is also positive, and going out first in our group was absolutely what we set out to do.”
Wambach came off the bench for the United States in the team’s last match against Sweden. Tuesday, she started up top with Alex Morgan, who was making her first World Cup start in Canada after working her way back from a bone bruise in her left knee.
The United States, ranked second in the world behind Germany, has two World Cup titles, but hasn’t won since 1999. Four years ago in Germany, the U.S. advanced to the final but fell to Japan on penalty kicks.
Nigeria, which has won seven of nine African championships, has been to every World Cup since it started for the women in 1991. The Super Falcons were eliminated after the loss to the United States after playing to a 3-all draw with Sweden in the opener and falling 2-0 to Australia.
Afterward, coach Nigeria coach Edwin Okon would not shake the hand of U.S. coach Jill Ellis.
“We created some good chances, but we didn’t take the chances,” Okon said about his team’s performance. “It is a lesson.”
Australia 1, Sweden 1: Lisa De Vanna’s early goal was enough for Australia to advance to the knockout stage with a draw against Sweden in Edmonton.
It’s the third straight World Cup in which Australia (1-1-1) has advanced past the group stage. It is the second team behind the United States in Group D.
Japan 1, Ecuador 0: Yuki Ogimi scored in the fifth minute and defending champion Japan beat Ecuador in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to become the first team to win all three of its matches in the group stage of this year’s Women’s World Cup.
Japan won Group C and will play in the round of 16 on June 23 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Brazil, which plays today, is the only other team with a chance to go 3-0 in the group stage.
Cameroon 2, Switzerland 1: Madeleine Ngono Mani came off the bench to score one of two second-half goals as Cameroon became only the second African team to advance to the knockout stage, defeating Switzerland in Edmonton, Alberta.
Cameroon advances as the second team from Group C, doing so in its first World Cup appearance.